Ottawa Journal by David Tilson MP — Conservatives have a positive vision for lower taxes

September 7, 2017 ·
0 Comments

Even if you’ve never voted Conservative before, you probably know that Conservatives support lowering taxes as a way to help Canadians and our economy.
But maybe you don’t know “why” we support lower taxes.
We believe that there is more to Canada than just government and this belief is at the core of the positive Conservative vision we’ve been sharing with Canadians all summer. We believe taxes should be lower for Canadians: for businesses, families and individuals. This is the core of a Conservative vision to create prosperity and opportunity for everyone.
Our support for lower taxes isn’t a matter of seeing black ink on a ledger or because we want to get a favourable press release from the Chamber of Commerce. We believe in lowering taxes because it is good for Canadian families.
When we keep payroll taxes low, it helps the young worker looking to get their first job. When the government raises payroll taxes, like the Liberals have done, it makes it harder for young people to start their careers.
When we keep taxes on Canadian small businesses low, it helps those companies invest, expand and hire more workers. When you cancel tax cuts on small businesses, as the Liberals did in their first budget, it comes at the expense of those looking for work.
And when we cut taxes for families, it means they have a little more money in their pocket at the end of every month. It means a single mom will be able to send her kids to summer camp or a family can save for their child’s education.
This is more important than ever. Recent data from the 2016 Census revealed that more Canadians than ever before are living alone. That means fewer households have a dual income to rely on. And it’s getting harder for kids to move out of their parents’ house. We see this in practice every day, in communities across the country.
Helping Canadians save more of their own money is critical if we want to ensure a better future for all.
Yet, with federal spending at an all-time high, the Trudeau Liberal government is looking to pass the bill to someone else.
And that means tax and user fee hikes for the everyday Canadian taxpayer. And it’s not just on the obvious expenses — their approach amounts to a tax on everyday life.
Increased user fees for campsites, fishing licences, and passports are one part of the plan. Continuously increasing taxes on beer and wine is another. By 2022, Trudeau’s carbon tax will increase the price of gasoline by 11 cents per litre, making any family road trip a lot more expensive. On top of all of it are year-round tax hikes on public transit, ridesharing services like Uber and kids’ sports and arts activities.
Justin Trudeau claims the best of intentions, but his policies hurt the very people they say they want to help. They came to office saying they wanted to help families, but they’re now treating even summertime family activities as a source of tax revenue to cover their spending problem.
Lower taxes mean the government has faith in the everyday men and women of Canada to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. This is how we create prosperity and opportunity for everyone in Canada, no matter who you are.
This is what Conservatives believe in.
And these everyday families are who Canada’s Conservatives are here to fight for.